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The Theme for 2007: Sustainable City? The Sustainable Suburb? |
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The community conversation, A Year in Providence and the Region began in the fall of 2005. Its original and lasting aim is to explore innovation of place through a diverse dialogue of engaging questions, images, ideas, and dilemma’s – especially about cities, towns, villages, and the region. We are not convening to take collective action. We are convening to engender thinking out of which participants take actions that matter to them, individually, as projects or through combining projects. Our commitment to collectively explore and innovate will continue into 2007.
Starting in 2006 and during 2007, New Commons will engage the community by digging into the complex demands of what must be questioned and is required to secure the sustainable city and the sustainable suburb? Be sure to join us for our opening session, "Current Reality of
The Sustainable City, The Sustainable Suburb" on
October 6th, 2006 from 8:30 AM to 12 PM.
We start this conversation aware that there are many interpretations and conflicting opinions surrounding the concept of sustainability – we intend to be aware of these contentions, but not be stymied by semantics. The definition of sustainability we take into this conversation is the idea of: 'parallel care and respect for the ecosystem and for the people within. From this value set emerges the goal of sustainability: to achieve ongoing human and ecosystem well-being together.
Though the environment is a first priority, sustainability is not just about the environment! Sustainability is a systemic concept that embraces a variety of diverse and synergistic elements from the human and non-human environment. Through the combination of these elements we ensure the foundation for the continuity of health, wealth and endurance of people and the ecology we rely on. Through their synergy we also prohibit the actions that reduce the planet’s ability to sustain, and enhance the actions that regenerate and restore not only the ecology of place, but the community of place.
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10/6/06 Media Available!
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There is new media available for this event. Click here to download audio and slide show presentations from the 10/6/06 event.
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Elements of a Systemic and Sustainable Place |
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The elements of a systemic and sustainable place are diverse and reflected in a range of questions like:
What is the economy: now and next?
What is the current and desired natural ecology? What most requires regeneration? Restoration?
What is the culture, soul, and story of a place?
What are the present and desired aesthetics – what arouses the heart and mind to open?
What knowledge and wisdom is required to develop and grow a place?
What are the current and desired infrastructure and the style, form and function of buildings?
What thinking must be created to recognize the connection of human and non-human systems?
How do we create the foresight to craft a legacy worth endowing to future generations?
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Opening Proposition |
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New Commons does not think current sustainability ideas and practices sufficiently embrace this diversity of thinking and acting, and limits our ability to address these types of questions in a way that will carry us forward. We need to create new practices – and/or combine the best from the old – that will work in the future.
An opening proposition that New Commons will put to the conversation of Sustainable City? Sustainable Suburb? is:
What are the key synergistic elements that may open the door to future practices of sustainability?
For example, what happens when ecology and commerce become buddies? What role does culture play with the role of design? How does community knowledge dance with aesthetics? What is the place for soul in an ecologically and economically viable place? How do we think and knit a whole-place together?
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